Humans vs mosquitos

Diseases spread by bats, rats and rodents are far more easier to control and contain compared to those spread by mosquitos. Unlike bats and rats, mosquitos are too small to kill 1 by 1. The are tiny, have huge breeding rate and they suck blood surreptitiously. Most times we tend to notice a mosquito bite long after the event.

Mosquitos spread deadly diseases like malaria, dengue, Chikungunya, yellow fever and many more. Malaria being the most lethal disease that kills more than a million people every year. Most of them being children and affects close to 300 – 600 million people every year. This number is more than 2 times the population of entire middle east (Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, Yemen).

Bat sh*t scared

We are all scared of bats. They look bit dangerous, especially when they are resting upside down! In fact bats can even sleep in upside down position, All thanks to the evolution.

Bats cannot fly like birds as their wings cannot produce enough lift. Neither can they run and propel themselves in air like airplanes as their legs are too tiny. Therefore, the best way is to reach a high position, dive, flutter & fly.

cold weather & common cold

2 of my colleagues are sick and off from work with same symptoms today. Coughing, running nose, sore throat, headache & exhaustion. Coincidentally, they are not alone. There is a big spike in such cases during the summer to winter transition.

The problem is referred to as common cold or viral flu in general. The influenza virus which is responsible for this, is conducive to cold and dry weather. It is able to survive for longer and thus spreads quickly. Moreover, it can multiply / replicate faster as well.

Humans vs virus, World war 3?

In 1346 – 1353 around 200 million people died of a deadly plague known as Black death. The plague was so severe that it approximately wiped out 50% of total european population.

The virus originated from rat flea carried by rats and spread through ships that used to ferry for trade.